Beer snob stories

So, I'm not generally a beer snob. I don't look down on people's choices in beer. I don't tell people what to drink or not to drink. If offered a beer I don't care for, I politely say "no thanks" without comment. Etc and so forth.

However comma...

Over the holidays, my brother-in-law, nephew and I were waiting for other family members to meet us and decided to have a beer. The only place in the vicinity available was a Buffalo Wild Wings. Mid-day and it was pretty empty. We sat at the bar and looked at the tap selection. There were about 20 taps with 3 "meh" selections, a Widmer IPA, Guinness, and Bass Ale. The rest were nothing but Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Miller Lite, Coors, Coors Lite, etc.

Well. None of us like adjunct lagers; I don't particularly care for Irish Stouts or EPAs. If Bass or Guinness were free, maybe, but not to pay for. Nephew ordered the Widmer and I tasted it. It was pretty unimpressive. They had a few bottled beers but I don't buy bottled beers at premium prices when I can enjoy them at home for less.

So Bro-in-Law & I said, "no thanks." The bartender's mouth literally and actually dropped open. She swept her arm towards the taps and said, "ALL these beers and you can't find ONE to drink!?" She was amazed. We maintained our politeness, didn't insult the beers, or her, or the bar and continued to smile and tell her we didn't see anything we wanted. She kinda sorta good-naturedly continued to rag us over not wanting any of their vast selection until the nephew finished his glass. His Dad paid for it and even gave her an extra large tip for her hurt feelings and we left.

On top of the generous tip, we figured that we provided her with a story that she could re-tell for many months to come. Anyway, that's my "beer snob" story. What's yours?

Went to a Mexican restaurant with some friends after the gym, looked at the beer menu not expecting to find anything, didn't, and ordered water. This was after having mentioned at the gym that I was really craving a beer, so they asked me about it and I (very politely) said that there's nothing I'd want to order. In your situation I probably would have grabbed the Widmer IPA, that's better than anything you can get at Buffalo Wild Wings around here (not that I ever go there, just know their lack of selection from friends).

I'm not exactly sure either mine or yours are really "beer snob" stories though. Yours is more notable for the ridiculous response from the bartender than anything "snobbish" you did.

That's not being a snob, it's being a beer geek, very different. You were polite and you weren't a dick at all. I have seen snobs before....I once saw someone offered a Miller Light say, "No thanks, I like to actually taste my beer." That was being a snob.

Ya' see, it's not what you do (as both you and the douche in my example denied the macro-choice) it's how you do it.

My real problem with BWLD, besides it being very noisy, is that they promote craft beer loudly but they don't seem to know what it is. Blue Moon does not qualify, so stop calling it that. Also, why does every beer besides Guinness get served in a hefeweizen glass? I mean, come on.

One of my co-workers once scoffed at me when I briefly mentioned that I enjoy craft beer and have had a ton of different kinds. He said something along the lines of "I'm 6 years older than you and have been drinking forever, believe me, dude, I've had a LOT of different beers and probably WAY more than you."

So I asked him what his all-time favorite was, and his reply was, "probably Guinness".

I had to go to the bathroom to spit out the blood that had accumulated in my mouth from biting my tongue so hard.

I'm unfortunate enough to live in a place where craft beer is a rarity (save for one excellent store). A few weeks ago I went out for a friends birthday celebration to a restaraunt. There was no mention of beer in the menus so I asked what was available. After the funny look I received from the hostess and some of the people there who didn't know me (they had ordered Bud Lights all round without hesitation) she rattled off the extensive beer list. And by extensive, I mean pretty much every variety of Bud and Light beer I had ever heard of. I mean not even a Guinness!
I did feel a little guilty for ordering a water after reading off such a long list but I refuse to pay $10 for a pint of Bud or its variants.

I don't think there has ever been a time where I couldn't find something to drink, I've been known to order a Blue Moon (w/orange wedge) at restaurants with weak lineups, Dos Equis at my favorite Mexican place paired with my spicy order, and drink BMC\light beers at sporting events\parties.

That doesn't mean if given the choice I wouldn't order\drink something with more flavor, but as it stands I can adapt to almost any drinking environment like a beer Ninja.

I hate that when people know I'm into beer they assume I'm a snob about it. at family parties where there's Bud I'll always get a few snide "oh he doesn't drink this type of beer." The only time I act snobbish is when someone else is trying to put peoples choices down because they're so enlightened that they drink Shocktop instead of Bud Light- that really drives me nuts

I don't consider myself a beer snob but I have had "snobbish" moments.

Most of my friends are BMC drinkers. Sometimes I pick up a 12 pack of Corona, Bud Light etc for them before I get to their place. As I'm bringing the beer over the checkout counter, I sometimes start thinking to myself "I don't want people to think I drink this stuff".

I don't consider myself a beer snob but I have had "snobbish" moments.

Most of my friends are BMC drinkers. Sometimes I pick up a 12 pack of Corona, Bud Light etc for them before I get to their place. As I'm bringing the beer over the checkout counter, I sometimes start thinking to myself "I don't want people to think I drink this stuff".

Snobbish yay or nay?

Click to expand...

I figure the people behind the counter are used to people drinking swill, and probably drink it themselves, so ... meh.

I had a PBR craving and bought a six-pack a month or so ago. I didn't feel bad because I said the above line in my head.

Went to a Mexican restaurant with some friends after the gym, looked at the beer menu not expecting to find anything, didn't, and ordered water. This was after having mentioned at the gym that I was really craving a beer, so they asked me about it and I (very politely) said that there's nothing I'd want to order. In your situation I probably would have grabbed the Widmer IPA, that's better than anything you can get at Buffalo Wild Wings around here (not that I ever go there, just know their lack of selection from friends).

I'm not exactly sure either mine or yours are really "beer snob" stories though. Yours is more notable for the ridiculous response from the bartender than anything "snobbish" you did.

I don't think there has ever been a time where I couldn't find something to drink, I've been known to order a Blue Moon (w/orange wedge) at restaurants with weak lineups, Dos Equis at my favorite Mexican place paired with my spicy order, and drink BMC\light beers at sporting events\parties.

That doesn't mean if given the choice I wouldn't order\drink something with more flavor, but as it stands I can adapt to almost any drinking environment like a beer Ninja.

Click to expand...

I agree with everything you have to say!! I wouldn't call myself a Ninja tho... More like a straight-out alcoholic!!

I was called a beer snob more than once during a 7 day Boston-Bermuda-Boston cruise. It was by my friends, while they explained to the many waiters that asked, why I never wanted a "bucket" of BMC like everyone else. Luckily I don't mind cocktails.....

I have very little impulse control on saying things like "shitty", "pee-water", or "triple hops brewed" in a very sarcastic tone when I see friends or family drinking Bud, Miller, Coors, etc., and an even harder time not laughing in someone's face when they tell me Shock Top is good beer. I'm usually very polite in public, though.

I try so hard to turn off my beer snobbery. I really do. Even if I don't say anything, I usually (unintentionally) shoot some sideways glance, a tiny smirk, or an eye twitch. It's invaded my core. On the plus side, I have gotten a lot of my family/friends interested in some craft brews, so it's serving some purpose.

Oh, I didn't expect anything, but I looked anyway on the off-chance there might be something. I didn't even say anything about it, the only reason the beer selection (or lack thereof) came up is because people had heard me mentioning I was craving a beer while at the gym, but I decided to get Mexican food with my friends rather than go to the bar alone. Had a beer at home after dinner instead.

I'd say my most snobbish moments have been responses to the waitresses that say "we've got everything" when asked what beer they have. Responses like "great, give me an Arrogant Bastard" or "I'll have a Breakfast Stout" tend to annoy the wait staff.

Your BWW sucks ... mine had about 1/3 BMCs and such, and then 2/3 craft ... I just went with an Arcadia Angler's Ale when I went and it was one hell of a delicious APA on-tap. Mmm...

The only beer snob story I have, and it's not really one, is what happened yesterday. I got Hopslam and the guy said, "Overrated. Not at all worth $3 a bottle."

Said nothing but thought "LOL". I hadn't had it at that point, but it had flawless ratings nearly everywhere I looked, including family. And I just had one, and it's the best beer I've ever had.

Click to expand...

I've found BWWs in the midwest are way better. Last ones I went to Michigan and Ohio both had a couple of primo choices. Bell's Two-Hearted, Great Lakes Christmas and some really local stuff. I had a Round Barn Cocoa Stout and it was quite delicious.